The Philosophy of Buddha Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Philosophy of Buddha - Term Paper Example Buddha taught four basic truths to people: Dukkha, Samudaya, Nirodha, Maggo. Dukkha According to Dukkha, â€Å"Birth is suffering, old age is suffering, disease is suffering, death is suffering, to be united with the unpleasant is suffering, to be separated from the pleasant is suffering, not to receive what one craves for is suffering, in brief the five Aggregates of Attachment are suffering †. Samudaya Samudaya says that â€Å" it is the desire which leads from rebirth to rebirth accompanied by the lust of passion, which delights now here now there; it is the craving for sensual pleasures, for existence and for annihilation†. Nirodha Nirodha says that â€Å"It is the remainderless, total annihilation of this very craving, the forsaking of it, the breaking loose, fleeing, deliverance from it."† Maggo It says that â€Å"It is the Noble Eightfold Path which consists of right understanding, right thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right endeavor, right mindfulness, and right concentration† From the study of these four truths, we see that their objective is that people should first understand these four truths, and then practically apply the knowledge from their understandings to their lives in order to gain happiness. Real happiness lies within oneself. These four truths can be experienced by people in daily life. Thus Buddhism can be considered as a practical philosophy. Buddha also gave the concept of Karma, according to which, a person’s actions in one age decide his state of existence in next stage. ... h delights now here now there; it is the craving for sensual pleasures (Kamatanha), for existence (Bhavatanha)7 and for annihilation (Vibhavatanha)."" Nirodha Nirodha says that "It is the remainderless, total annihilation of this very craving, the forsaking of it, the breaking loose, fleeing, deliverance from it."" Maggo It says that "It is the Noble Eightfold Path which consists of right understanding, right thoughts, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right endeavor, right mindfulness, and right concentration" 1 Bullen Leonard. Philosophy of Buddhism. 2007. V. Jayaram Buddha From the study of these four truths we see that their objective is that people should first understand these four truths, and then practically apply the knowledge from their understandings to their lives in order to gain happiness. Real happiness lies within oneself. These four truths can be experienced by people in daily life. Thus Buddhism can be considered as a practical philosophy. Buddha also gave the concept of Karma, according to which, a person's actions in one age decide his state of existence in next stage. There are different kinds of people in the world. Some of them face difficulties throughout their lives in spite of hard work and some of them achieve everything in spite of their lazy attitude. Some are born with saintly characteristics and others with criminal tendencies. The question arises, why there is such an inequality in world According to Buddhism this variation is due to our own karma, or in other words, due to the result of our own actions. We ourselves are responsible for our own actions and our state of life. Five Orders of Buddhism Buddhism says that there are five orders (Niyamas) which act on the physical and mental

Show how issues of social class are important in at least two of the Essay

Show how issues of social class are important in at least two of the works studied - Essay Example In all work, low social position of the main characters prevents them to achieve appreciation and recognition they deserve. The novel Heart of Darkness (1900) is one of the most unique and outstanding works based on philosophical and psychological interpretations, historical and sociological issues. Until the actual military conquest of most of Africa by Europeans, the continents populations, except in regions significantly influenced by intruders from Asia, were largely left free to shape their own individual paths of development. This novel describes the controls the means of production and hence the sale and distribution of products, the capitalist returns less to the workers than what the worker actually produces. This is called exploitation, and the rate at which the capitalists extract surplus from the labor of their workers is called the rate of exploitation. Marx expressed this as the rate of exploitation: surplus/variable capital. This means getting more out of the productive process for the same or lower costs. It means workers will have to produce more without receiving a commensurate increase in wages, that is, an increase in the rate of exploitation. â€Å"The vision seemed to enter the house with me - the stretcher, the phantom-bearers, the wild crowd of obedient worshippers, the gloom of the forests,†¦ the beat of the drum, regular and muffled like the beating of a heart - the heart of a conquering darkness† (Conrad). In the play, Amadeus P. Shaffer describes the impact of social class on a genuine and inability to resists social principles and values. The play concentrates on personal relations between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri and their rivalry. This play portrays that a unique talent of a person and his genius means nothing fo society which values high social position and wealth. First, this play helps legitimate prevailing class and status